Product: Cardo Scala-500 headsetWebsite: http://www.cardowireless.com/scala_500.phpPrice: Retails for $79.95I'm always searching for a bluetooth headset that meets my needs. The search was over when I started using the Scala-500. From the same people that made the ALLways headset, this one is smaller, lighter and easier to use. As with the ALLways, it can work around your ear or attach to your eyeglasses, which is still one of the best features, in my opinion. I paired it to three different mobile phones in minutes–it's as easy as pushing in the Multi-Function Wheel to put it into discoverable mode, entering the passkey and clicking accept on the mobile phone. This is my new favorite and I use it daily! It also comes with a charging cradle but I find that the 9 hours talk time allows me to not even think about charging it. The best by far, though, is Cardo's proprietary wind blocking technology (WindGuard) which significantly cuts down on wind noise. As a matter of fact, I have yet to have trouble hearing anyone on the other end of the line, regardless of how windy it is outside.

The Scala-500

Product: Verizon Samsung SCH-A790 Global PhoneWebsite:http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions/internationalsvcs/globalphone/samsung_sch_a790.jspPrice: Retails for $349.99If you're a Verizon customer and have a need to travel overseas, this is the phone for you. Gone are the days of calling Verizon first to arrange to have a phone sent to you that can take a SIM for GSM network usage. This unique design features support for CDMA (Verizon Wireless) and GSM (Vodaphone); there's a slot in the back of the device that lets you use a SIM branded by both Verizon Wireless and Vodaphone. Our reviewer took it to Greece and was talking internationally in seconds. The phone also features two color displays and a VGA camera and an assortment of other features.

Dual wireless functionality

The A790 flipped open

Product: BlackBerry 7100tWebsite: http://www.blackberry.net/blackberry7100/overview.shtmlPrice: Retails for $200 (after rebate), $400 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeIf you have a need for constant connectivity to your e-mail, schedule, etc. and prefer the sleekness of a phone form factor to the standard rectangle that makes it possible to fit a full keyboard on the face of the device, then this new Blackberry is for you. The phone features quad band support and a brand new predictive text input technology known as SureType which guesses what you're typing from a 35,000 word library (which learns as you type) and allows the device to have just two letters on most keys, instead of the three common on phones today. The nice part, though, is that it has the numbers laid out like a phone, built-in Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and one of the best color screens I've seen on a mobile to date. In addition, it features support for up to 10 email accounts, built-in IM for AOL, ICQ and Yahoo, and an HTML browser. The keyboard takes a little getting used to, but the predictive text is one of the best I've used. With T-Mobile selling them with a substantial rebate, this is a must-have. I've been a Blackberry user for years and I made the switch.

Check out the unique keyboard

Product: MX900 Bluetooth Optical MouseWebsite: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?countryid=19&languageid=1&page=products/details&CRID=3&CONTENTID=7110Price: Retails for $99.95, from $64 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeIf you need a full-size mouse at work and are sick of having a cord around, check out Logitech's MX900. The base doubles as a charging cradle for the mouse and a Bluetooth hub overall. While there are many Bluetooth mice out there, this one is a full size mouse and fits nicely in your hand, so if you don't need it for traveling, this is the mouse for you. The hub also ships with software that lets you connect your Bluetooth headset, Bluetooth-enabled phone, PDA or printer all to your computer via Bluetooth. You can even send and receive SMS messages from your PC via your mobile phone and the MX900.

The Scala-500

Product: iPod miniWebsite: http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/Price: Retails for $249, from $244 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeIf you enjoy listening to music anywhere, the iPod mini is for you. Forget that it's THE device to own right now and instead just enjoy the fact that it weighs just 3.6 ounces and can store 4GB worth of music, sync with Outlook (with 3rd party software), play games, and even store some of your critical files. I have a Nomad Zen Xtra 40GB, too, and I find that I use my Mini daily and take it EVERYWHERE!

The small iPod mini

Product: HP PhotoSmart 245Review: http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Nov/rev20041130026765.htmPrice: Starts at $126 for a refurb on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeIf you take a lot of digital pictures, you need this printer. It features a tray designed to take in photo paper and slots for all of your favorite memory card formats, including CF Type I or II, SmartMedia, xD, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, and Sony Memory Stick. It's so easy to use that I know a number of people who take it on the road with them and print photos for grandparents on the fly. The printer features an LCD screen to show you the picture before it prints so you can't lose!

HP PhotoSmart 245

Product: Nokia 6820Review: http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Sep/rev20040924027096.htmPrice: Retails for $200 in Europe, unlocked from $278 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeI play with a lot of phones, but this one has one feature that the rest don't: a fold-out keyboard! It's a great phone loaded with features including a speakerphone, a 128×128 color screen, Bluetooth, a digital camera, an XHTML browser, an e-mail client, and the usual PIM applications. It has come a long way since its predecessor–this one is triband–and is a lot of fun to use, too. You'd think with all of those features packed in that it would be heavy. Not so. This one is only 3.5 ounces. You'll still see the 6800 sold online but look a little harder for its successor, the 6820.

Nokia 6820

Product: C. Crane Digital FM TransmitterReview: http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Nov/rev20041105027109.htmPrice: Retails for $69.95Want to listen to your music over ANY radio and stomp on ANY frequency? Take a look at the C. Crane Digital FM Transmitter. It can be powered by AC, DC or battery and will let you choose ANY frequency to broadcast on and it CRUSHES the existing program and takes over the airwaves. It's a must-have if you want to broadcast over the radio and don't want to waste time finding a clear station to broadcast on.

C.Crane Transmitter

Product: Vonage VoIP SolutionReview: http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/conel/vonage/index.htmPrice: Starts at $14.99Don't you just love it when something works?! In the case of Vonage, they've successfully made using a regular phone to do VoIP as simple as plugging a cord into the wall. Well, almost, but it really is simple. In addition, the call quality is spectacular. If you thought that VoIP was too complicated to get into, all you need is a broadband connection, a router (supplied in some kits), a phone, and for a very low price, you can call anywhere in the country and pretty much anywhere in the world.

Vonage retail box

Product: Smartparts Digital Photo FrameReview: http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Aug/rev20040826026436.htmPrice: Retails for $120What better way to show off your digital pictures than to have them cycle in a frame. The Smartparts Digital Photo Frame lets you do just that. I've got it on my desk at work, cycling through a number of photos of my new son. People tend to pick it up just as they would a photo frame to take a closer look. The device itself has a 3.5″ TFT display that is not only capable of showing the pictures directly from a digital camera's media card, but can also be used as a memory card reader/writer and can even hook into your television for both NTSC and PAL viewing of your digital pictures.

The folks at Winbook continue to crank out great laptops. This latest one blew me away when I opened it. It's 11.4″ x 9″ x 1.2″ and just 4.55 pounds with a 12″ WXGA (1,280×800) widescreen. What seemed small at first turned out to be a powerhouse in disguise. Tucked away in this small frame is an Intel Pentium-M processor 755 (2.0 GHz), 512 MB DDR 333 SDRAM, 80 GB, DVD+R/RW, 56k modem, 10/100 LAN, and Intel's Wireless Pro 2200 802.11b/g. It features three USB ports, one of which is hidden on the bottom of the unit if needed, a PCMCIA slot, a firewire port, S-video TV out, VGA, and a memory card slot. As I said, it's quite amazing to see how much is packed in here. As for its feel, the keyboard is slick to the touch, and there's a touchpad for navigating around. It's one of the quietest laptops I've ever used, too. I actually had to put my ear up to it directly to hear it, probably because the fan is built into the bottom of the case. Winbook also sent me a comparison sheet which pits the X530 against the D600. It turns out that's the machine I use at work daily so I'm happy to say that I agree with the comparison. My initial thought was that the screen would be too small but once you see the widescreen in action, you'll go hunting for your credit card.

The Winbook x540

Product: iTrip miniReview: http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Sep/rev20040929026800.htmPrice: Retails for $39.99, from $29.95 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeThere are a number of FM transmitters on the market but the differentiator here is that this one clips onto the top of the mini and looks like it was made to be there from the beginning. It also gets its power from the mini, so there's no need for extra batteries or cords. Out of the box the iTrip mini works on 87.9 but can be tweaked to broadcast on a different frequency, too. It's a great little device and a must-have for your mini.

iTrip mounted on a mini

Product: Nintendo DSReview: http://www.geek.com/newsletter/nl12022004.htmPrice: Retails for $150The successor to the GameBoy Advance platform has many tricks up its sleeve. In this case, the tricks include two LCD screens, one of which is a touch screen, stereo speakers, a slot for DS game cartridges, a slot that lets you play GameBoy Advance cartridges, built-in Wi-Fi, and the familiar clamshell design. What's most intriguing is its ability to play against others via Wi-Fi and allow others to play against by downloading a piece of the game. That's right, they don't have to own the game to play against you! In addition, the games are rendered in 3-D and you'll be amazed at the graphics and speed, especially when you're playing against others. It's a new concept in handheld gaming and one that I'm sure will catch on. I loved the device so much that I picked up one for myself.

The popular Nintendo DS

Product: Handmark Express 2.0Website: http://www.handmark.com/products/detail.php?id=287Price: One year subscription $69.90; monthly $6.99When you're out and about and have a Pocket PC or Smartphone handy, you can use Handmark Express to give you the latest news, weather, sports, stock quotes, movie times / reviews, directory lookups, maps, and even directions from place to place automatically or at the touch of a button. I use it daily to catch up on news since it can give you a quick snippet and seconds later you can request the full story. I also use it to keep track of the latest NFL scores and game times and just this morning read a movie review. I find it indispensable and you will, too. According to the company, it will soon be available for J2ME, BREW, Symbian and Blackberry, so basically, if you have a device in your hand, Express will work on it.

The main news display

Product: MindManager Pro X5Website: http://www.mindjet.com/us/products/mindmanager_x5/index.php?s=3Review: More details coming in 2005Price: $199If you're a random thought generator, this tool will get you thinking in the right direction. Instead of writing notes on random pieces of paper or in a million different documents, use MindManager to organize your thoughts and ideas more clearly. Once your thoughts are inputted into the program, you can graphically move them around and then click one button and have MindManager make a Word document, a fancy PowerPoint, sync to Microsoft Project, Tasks, and more. It's a great tool for organizing all of your information and easily allows you to add links to the actual documents so you won't waste time trying to find the genesis of your ideas. The best part, though, is that it will work on your Tablet PC and sync with your Pocket PC so that your thoughts are never more than one click away. I've used it time and again to formulate my thoughts and even do a presentation or two on the fly. Don't just take my word for it, though, try it first for 21 days. To date, more times than not, people that I've shown it to have picked up a copy for themselves. I should also mention that our own palmsolo uses it regularly to manage the status of reviews.

MindManager X5 Geek review layout

Product: Neo Pro 3.0Website: http://www.nelsonemailorganizer.com/products/index.phpPrice: $69.95Before the desktop search wars there was a need to improve e-mail management. Sadly, that need still exists today but Neo Pro 3.0 has what it takes to make your e-mail life easier. The product sits next to Outlook and builds its own index. What does that mean to you? Well, for starters you can have unified message stores (search through multiple PSTs), classify your emails into categories, mark items and categories as “HOT”, search for a conversation or just about anything else you can think of. When I first installed it I was using it to just search for e-mails but now I'm a power user and rely on it to classify my e-mails so that I can read the most important ones first and track down the origin of a conversation in seconds. The program also alerts you to a new e-mail with a “caller ID” of sorts. This feature has surfaced in Outlook 2003 but now you can have it in any version of Outlook. My favorite feature by far, though, is the attachments manager. I can instantly see emails by attachment type and clean out my inbox of all of the junk in seconds. There's not enough space for me to tell you about all of the great features, so give a trial a shot and see for yourself.

Neo Pro managing email

Product: Bluetake Bluetooth USB Adapter (BT007x) and Bluetooth Mouse (BT500)Website: http://www.bluetake.com/products/BT500.htmPrice: $29.95 for the USB Adapter and $59 for the MouseIf you're on the go and donít want wires, Bluetooth is the way to go. The folks at Bluetake have taken it one step further and made one of these smallest, most comfortable wheel mice I've seen. In addition, they provide the software to make it seamlessly work with your system. Thankfully, they also provide regular batteries, not rechargeable, so that a person on the go can instantly make his/her mouse work and not have to worry about recharging. The company also sells a Class I Bluetooth USB adapter to go with the mouse, so if you've had visions of controlling your computer from 100 meters away, your vision has come true. :-) Seriously though, it's a great mouse and sets up in seconds. Thedesign is just right with the Bluetooth pairing being initiated with the touch of a dedicated button, and an on/off switch placed at the bottom of the mouse.

Check out this cool mouse

Product: Canon Powershot SD300 Digital ELPHWebsite: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=10599Price: Retails for $399, from $342 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeI was in the market for a new digital camera and happened to stumble on this one at a local Best Buy. I actually went shopping for a 5 megapixel camera but fell in love with the size of this little number. That and the fact that it takes SD cards instead of CF, sports a larger LCD screen than its predecessors (2.0 inch) and takes AMAZING pictures. I couldn't be happier and neither can my parents and friends. Canon got this one right! As for specs, it features 3x optical, 3.6x digital (I have yet to use the digital zoom) and a UA lens.

This camera packs a punch in a small package

Product: Nokia 6230Website: http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,8764,47676,00.htmlPrice: Unlocked from $328 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeThis phone has everything in it, and I'm still looking to see if the kitchen sink is in there somewhere, too. Here goes the list: video recorder and player, VGA camera, Active TFT color display, Bluetooth, Streaming video and audio, MP3 and AAC player, Stereo FM radio, EDGE and GPRS support, an MMC card slot, and it's Tri-band! Would you believe that it weighs just 97g and is only 103 mm x 44 mm x 20 mm? Of course, it comes with all of the standard PIM applications but also includes a stopwatch, countdown timer, calculator, XHTML (WAP 2.0) browser, voice dialing, graphically rich games . . . and the list goes on and on. If I wasn't so hung up on the MS Smartphone platform, this would be MY PHONE! The coolest part is that the speaker is loud enough and clear enough that you could use the phone standalone as an MP3 player. It's almost like the product managers challenged the engineers to throw as much into this little beauty as humanly possible.

Nokia 6230

Product: Gyration Ultra GT Compact KeyboardWebsite: http://www.gyration.com/ultragt-compact.htmPrice: Retails for $119.95, from $81 on the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeI built a media center and wanted to control it from my couch. Gyration was kind enough to oblige and they sent me their suite which consists of a Gyration Ultra Cordless Mouse, Compact Keyboard, charging cradle, RF receiver and a CD with GyroTools Media Control software. Needless to say, I was in heaven. The suite allows for a 30 foot radio range and you can be up and running without any additional software in seconds. If you're into customizing, the suite comes with software that lets you do just that. Also, the keyboard includes 88 keys and 15 extra Internet and Multimedia hotkeys that work without any special configuration or drivers. Both devices are designed to work with the RF receiver, which I put on top of my television and in minutes I was typing and surfing from my couch. If you're not familiar with a gyroscope mouse, it lets you literally surf with the mouse in the air. In my case, I could also use it on any surface, including the arm of my couch. It became an instant fixture in my living room, and should be in yours, too.

Gyration keyboard

Product: palmOne Treo 650Website: http://www.palmone.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650/Price: Retails for $449 with activation, also available via the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeSprint was kind enough to supply a Treo 650 for us and I have to say that even though I'm not a fan of Palm, this phone is the best Palm device I've ever used. In addition, PalmOne listened to its customers and significantly improved upon the Treo 600. For example, there's a new 320×320 color screen, a removable battery, a non volatile file system so that you don't lose your data if the battery dies–why don't ALL devices do this?! In addition, it's got bluetooth, an MP3 player, a VGA camera, built-in support for MS exchange server activesync, and a QWERTY keyboard. If you're a stylus person, it's got one of those, too, so it really does incorporate all of the features you love about Palm. So far one big problem has surfaced. Since the device only has 23MB of usable memory some people have not been able to sync all of their contacts. Otherwise, it's becoming the Palm of choice.

We've reviewed many GPS systems in the past that can hook up to PDAs, laptops, and even ones that are standalone. They all keep track of where you are and allow other software to plot your travels. So, what can you do to enhance the GPS's features? Earthmate has the answer with its Blue Logger. With the Blue Logger GPS you can “log” your travels and then plot them at a later date. The possibilities for this device are endless! Are you curious to see where your partner goes during the day? Simply connect to the Blue Logger via Bluetooth, enable logging and then put the device in his/her car, bag, or anything else and it starts logging the route that it goes on. You can set it to log until it can't log anymore, to restart the logging when it runs out of space, to only log above a certain speed, and more. I tried it a few times while running my errands. Then I exported the log, and imported it into Delorme's Street Atlas USA 2004 product and watched my trip play out on screen. I even showed it to a fellow “geek” and he was wide eyed! It's definitely very geeky and the best “spy gadget” I've seen in a long time. Of course, there are other uses for it aside from spying, like plotting your climb up a mountain, or using it as a GPS with other software, but spying is much more fun.

Product: Nylon 18″ Detachable-Wheeled Laptop BackpackWebsite: http://www.mckleinusa.com/rseries/70783.htmlRetail: $139.99, also available via the Geek.com PriceGrabber storeTired of lugging your laptop around in your standard laptop bag? Check out this roller bag / backpack from McKlein Company LLC. Now you can roll your laptop, files, PDAs, mobile phones, pens, key chains, business cards, and just about anything else you can think of around with you. In addition, the case features a Patented Removable Wheel and Handle System so if you're so inclined, unzip the roller and handle away and turn it into a backpack. I especially like the 5 MM thick removable pillow padding for protecting the laptop, the in-line skate wheels, and the rain/snow cover. I've been using the same laptop case for years and have to say that rolling the laptop around is a lot easier on the shoulders. In addition, it's fun to instantly be able to take it with me as a backpack when rolling isn't as easy. There have been many rolling cases and many backpack cases, but this is the first I've seen that performs double duty.

That's it for this year! E-mail me at Joel@Geek.com if you have any comments / questions or suggestions for other products that we can cover in the coming year. Thanks from all of us at Geek.com and Happy Holidays!

USER COMMENTS 6 comment(s)

1st post(5:47pm EST Sat Dec 18 2004)yea - by raul364

Cool stuff. Keep up the good work. Circle can Make Cosmos: http://www.(2:06pm EST Sun Dec 04 2005)A very friendly site. Have a nice day! - by Dustin Drake

thanks(1:25pm EST Fri Jan 06 2006)Excellent and very informative site Thanks for the information. - by andy

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